







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | |
| Is she here with you? | |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | |
| What line is it on? | |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | |
| Is it big money? | |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | |
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | |
| Yes, he is one of them. | |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | |
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | |